52. （2）人若不知道何为秩序，知道神就是秩序，祂在创世的那一刻就将秩序引入宇宙及其万物中，就很难清楚理解神的全能、全知和全在。由于不理解神在创造宇宙及其万物时所赋予它们的秩序，有何等多、何等大的荒唐谬论悄然潜入人的思想，并因此通过教会创始人的头脑溜进教会，这一点仅从下文（56－58节）对这些谬论的列举就能看出来。不过，首先，我在此阐明我所说的秩序的一般定义，即：秩序就是构成一个形式的部分、实质或元素的排列、界定和活动的品质；这就是它的状态的来源；状态的完美由智慧通过它的爱产生，而状态的不完美则是因贪欲而失去理智的后果。这个定义用到了实质、形式和状态这些术语，实质也是指形式，因为每一个实质就是一个形式。所有这些因是形而上学的抽象术语，故不可避免地显得非常晦涩难懂。不过，在下文，这种晦涩会通过举例说明被驱散。
52. (2)我們無法明白上帝的全能,全知和全在, 除非我們知道什麼是聖規(神性所定之規則), 並且除非我們認可上帝就是聖規, 當上帝創世時就將這些定規放置於宇宙的總體和細微之中。
由於不明白上帝建於宇宙及其萬物中的定規, 令人驚駭的數量與種類的荒唐事悄然潛入人類的思想, 並通過教會的創建者們溜進了教會。列在56-58節中的一些荒唐的見解, 會清楚說明。
現在我們開始談談聖規, 先給聖規一個總體概念:"定規"是在各部分間的排列,界定,相互作用的特性, 使實質產生形式, 這種特性叫"定規"。這樣的特性會產生一種狀態, 當它是藉著智慧(基於仁愛而起作用)產生, 其狀態就是完全。當它是藉著偽謬(基於純粹的欲望而起作用)產生, 其狀態就不完全。
這個定義中運用了實質,形式和狀態等術語。我們也會以實質來表示形式, 因為所有的實質都是一種形式。某種形式的性質如何, 也就是它的狀態如何。狀態是否完全, 要看其擁有的定規如何。
然而, 因為這些觀點的形而上學與抽象, 它們不可避免地被掩蓋在迷霧之中。但接下來的討論, 以直觀例證來運用這些術語, 將會驅散迷霧。
52. 2. We cannot comprehend God's omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence unless we know what the divine design is, and unless we learn that God is the divine design and that he imposed that design on the universe as a whole and on everything in it as he created it. Astounding quantities and varieties of folly have crept into human minds and slithered into the church through the heads of its founders as a result of their not understanding the design that God built into the universe and everything in it. A mere list of these foolish notions, which appears below [56-58], will make this clear.
For now let me open a discussion of the divine design with a general definition: A "design" is the quality of arrangement, boundaries, and interaction among parts, substances, or entities that together make up a form. This quality results in a state - a state that is perfect when produced by wisdom acting on the basis of love, and imperfect when spawned by unsound reasoning acting on the basis of mere desire.
This definition uses the terms substance, form, and state. By substance we mean form as well, because every substance is a form, and the quality of that form is its state. The perfection or imperfection of that state is a result of the design it has.
Because these points are metaphysical, though, they are unavoidably cloaked in thick darkness; but in the ensuing discussion, application of these terms in illustrative examples will dispel this darkness.
52. (ii) THE OMNIPOTENCE, OMNISCIENCE AND OMNIPRESENCE OF GOD CANNOT BE RECOGNISED EXCEPT THROUGH A KNOWLEDGE OF ORDER, AND THESE FACTS ABOUT ORDER: THAT GOD IS ORDER, AND THAT HE INTRODUCED ORDER INTO THE UNIVERSE AND ALL ITS PARTS SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH ITS CREATION.
To grasp the number and nature of the absurdities which have crept into human minds and thus into the church through the heads of its founders as the result of their failure to understand the order with which God on its creation endowed the universe and everyone of its parts, it will not be necessary to do more than to list them in the following pages. But first of all I shall here set forth a general definition of what I mean by order, namely: order is the quality of arrangement, direction and activation of the parts, substances and entities composing a form; this is the origin of its state, and perfection of state is the product of wisdom from its love, and its imperfection is hammered out by insanity of reason from lust. This definition uses the terms substance, form and state; and by substance I understand at the same time form, because all substance is a form, and the quality of a form is its state; the perfection or imperfection of its state is the result of order. These, being metaphysical terms, must inevitably be very obscure; but in the following pages this obscurity will be dispelled by the application of illustrative examples.
52. (2) The omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence of God can be clearly understood only when it is known what order is, and when it is known that God is order, and that He introduced order both into the universe and into each and all things of it at the time of their creation. How many and how great absurdities have crept into the minds of men, and thus into the church, through the heads of reformers, from their not understanding the order in which God created the universe and each and all things in it, will be seen from the mere recital of them in the following pages. But we will now begin an explanation of order with a general definition of it, as follows: Order is the quality of the arrangement, determination, and activity, of the parts, substances, or elements, which constitute a form; from which is its state; and its perfection is produced by wisdom from its love, or its imperfection is the outcome of unsoundness of reason from cupidity. In this definition substance, form, and state are mentioned, and by substance form also is meant, because every substance is a form, and the quality of the form is the state of it, while perfection or imperfection of state is a result of the order. All this must needs be obscure because it is metaphysical; but the obscurity will be dispelled in what follows by the use of examples which will illustrate the subject.
52. (2) THE OMNIPOTENCE, OMNISCIENCE, AND OMNIPRESENCE OF GOD CANNOT BE UNDERSTOOD UNLESS IT IS KNOWN WHAT ORDER IS; AND UNLESS IT IS KNOWN THAT GOD IS ORDER, AND THAT AT CREATION HE INTRODUCED ORDER INTO THE UNIVERSE, AND INTO ALL ITS PARTS.
Many grave absurdities have crept into the minds of men, and thence into the Church by the introduction of innovations, because men have not understood the order in which God created the universe, and every part of it. The number and nature of these views will be evident from the mere record of them in the following pages. In the first place what order is may be explained by this general definition of the term: Order is the quality of disposition, determination, and activity of the parts, substances, or entities which constitute form, giving rise to state, whose perfection is produced by wisdom from its own love, or whose imperfection is brought about by insane reasoning from lust. In this definition mention is made of substance, form and state; and by substance is at the same time meant form, because all substance is form, and the quality of form is its state, the perfection or imperfection of which results from order. However, since these things are metaphysical, they will necessarily appear obscure until they are illustrated by references to particular examples, which will be done in what follows.
52. II. QUOD DEI OMNIPOTENTIA, OMNISCIENTIA, ET OMNIPRAESENTIA NON POSSINT COGNOSCI, NISI SCIATUR QUID ORDO, ET NISI SCIANTUR HAEC EJUS, QUOD DEUS SIT ORDO, ET QUOD UNA CUM CREATIONE INTRODUXERIT ORDINEM TAM IN UNIVERSUM, QUAM IN OMNIA ET SINGULA EJUS. Quot et quales fatuitates 1 in mentes humanas, 2 et inde per Capita instauratorum in Ecclesiam irrepserunt, per quod non intellexerint Ordinem, in quem Deus Universum, ac omnia et singula ejus creavit, ex sola recensione illarum in sequentibus constare poterit. Sed hic primum aperiemus Ordinem per quandam 3 generalem definitionem ejus, quae haec est; Quod Ordo sit qualitas dispositionis, determinationis et activitatis partium, substantiarum aut entium, quae faciunt formam, unde status, cujus perfectionem sapientia ex suo amore producit, aut cujus imperfectionem insania rationis ex cupiditate excudit. In hac definitione nominantur Substantia, Forma, et Status, et per Substantiam simul intelligimus formam, quia omnis substantia est forma, ac qualitas formae est status ejus, cujus perfectio aut imperfectio ex ordine resultat. Sed haec, quia Methaphysica sunt, non possunt nisi in caligine esse, at haec discutietur in sequentibus per applicationes ad exempla, quae illustrabunt.
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